Make Sure Your Airbnb Host Can Legally Host You Before Traveling
If you’re looking to ditch a hotel in favor of a more interesting (and possibly cheaper) experience, Airbnb and the like can be great. However, if your landlord is not allowed to sublet, you may end up on the street while visiting a new city.
As Lifehacker alumnus Adam Dachis explains, if a person rents their home, they may be legally prohibited from subletting their extra space. In such cases, if the landlord discovers that you are paying the rent, he has every legal right to evict you. This can seriously ruin your vacation:
While Airbnb offers many great places to stay, sometimes people who want to make some money from their apartment are not allowed by law to do so. It looks like one of my neighbors is doing it and I recently stayed at the same place in San Francisco where I forgot to ask and ended up staying where I was technically not allowed – at least according to a friend of the guy who passed me this place. … Such illegal (or at least somewhat unethical) behavior does not always lead to dire consequences, but it can.
Of course, some tenants can share their home with the blessing of the landlord. Your host doesn’t have to be the owner. And of course, there is always the chance that their landlord will not recognize during your stay. However, this is a big risk, especially if you plan to be away from home.
One question to ask before booking Airbnb | Clumsy man